1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a hay-gathering machine for pulling windrows of hay, turning the hay over, and spreading it with at least one rake-wheel rotating around an approximately vertical axis, having raking tines fastened to a plurality of tine-carriers which extend outwards from the swivel axis of the rake-wheel, whereby the tine-carriers in the hub of the rake-wheel are positioned rotatably about the longitudinal axis of the tine-carriers and are provided with a crank-like control lever with which is associated a control channel or cam face in a stationary position with regard to the swivel axis of the rake-wheel and equidistant thereto, controlling the rotational movement of the tine-carriers about their longitudinal axis between a lowered and a lifted position of the rake-tines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines of this type are known in the art in which for the purpose of performing the various operations, the machines, especially their tine-carriers, must be adjusted by various manipulations for the positions required to perform the function.
Thus, machines have become known (Stoll, New Holland, Fella, Pottinger) which for their universal utilization require multiple manipulations. To pull rows of hay, this machine is placed in a position so that the rake-wheel axes are directed nearly vertical to the ground, and the extending tine-carriers form an almost right angle with the rake-wheel axis.
In this position, the control levers, which are connected with the tine-carriers, directed towards the rake-wheel axis, engage a control member which is fastened to the vertical axis and has a control channel or cam face equidistant to the swivel axis of the machine.
For the purpose of changing the type of function of the machine, i.e., the changing of the machine into a position in which the hay which lays on the ground can be spread out and turned, the control lever on the tine-carriers are individually placed into such a position by means of upwards tilting by an axis parallel to the ground, so that the tine-carriers take on a tapered angle upwards pointed to the swivel axis of the rake-wheel. For this purpose, the tine-carriers are hingedly connected on the turn-over manipulator of the machine, and for the purpose of locking the machine in the position for scattering the hay they are provided with a jack-type device at the periphery of the turn-over manipulator. Following these manipulations, the machine is slightly tilted forwards in the direction of movement in a manner so that the frontal tine-carrier runs nearly parallel with the ground. Simultaneously with the upwards tilting of the tine-carrier into the position for scattering the hay a device is required which will prevent the rake-tines from tilting about the axis of the tine-carriers, since the hay-scattering is performed with rake-tines which are fixedly directed towards the ground.
The costly devices which are required for adjusting these machines make these machines more expensive.
Additionally, the upwards- and downwards-tiltable tine-carriers produce tight positions which during the resetting of the machine may cause accidents.